Counterpunch Fan

For a long time now, I’ve been meaning to write and thank you for the Counterpunch section each Monday. Even after all the years of Counterpunch’s existence, I still think it’s great that The Times regularly reserves the space to let its readers respond at length to the media.

I may not agree with everything the writers say, but I’m glad that the arts and the media have moved them enough to write.

Counterpunch is a thoughtful reminder that the messages in the media aren’t merely a one-way monologue to be delivered by an insular entertainment industry to a docile audience. It’s a reminder that audiences can respond to the media in ways other than simply buying or not buying a ticket, other than merely tuning in or not tuning in to a broadcast.

The media convey ideas, however simple or inadvertent. And the purpose of an audience is to experience and respond to those ideas. Each Counterpunch article tells us that an experience of a given media event has been meaningful, whether that experience has been positive or negative.

Thanks for providing a forum for our voices to be heard.

ROBERT PAYNE

Studio City